Download Festival 2025 announces line-up
Including three-first time headliners
Last updated 20th Nov 2024
More than 90 bands have been confirmed for Download Festival 2025, including all three first-time headliners.
Topping the bill for the very first time at the 22nd edition of Download Festival are pop punk legends Green Day, enigmatic genre-melting rockers Sleep Token, and nu metal torchbearers Korn.
Green Day’s bill-topping performance next June will be their inaugural appearance on the famous turf of Donington Park.
Sleep Token are making the seismic leap to Download headliners after previously rocking The Avalanche Stage hosted by Kerrang! Radio in 2022 and The Dogtooth Stage in 2018. They also played Download Pilot in 2021.
No strangers to Download Festival, Korn have played multiple times since their debut in 2004, however next year will be their debut headline performance on The Apex Stage.
Also among the first wave of bands confirmed for Download Festival XXII are The Darkness, Frank Carter & The Sex Pistols, Airbourne, Apocalyptica, Jerry Cantrell, Steel Panther, Within Temptation, Spiritbox, Bullet for my Valentine, Don Broco, Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Poppy and Alien Ant Farm.
Other acts on the bill include Sophie Lloyd, Eagles of Death Metal, Bleed from Within, Loathe, Meshuggah, Lorna Shore, Cradle of Filth, CKY, McFly, Mallory Knox, The Ghost Inside, Turbonegro, Sylosis, Boston Manor, Whitechapel, Kittie, Fit for an Autopsy, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Sikth, Jinjer, and many more.
Download Festival’s Andy Copping says: “Following on from last year’s sold out 21st edition, Download’s legacy not only includes the incredible artists who have performed at the hallowed grounds over the years, but also our unrivalled community, safe and warm atmosphere, and fantastic afterhours entertainment at District X, with something for truly everyone.”
The DLXXII line up was announced at a very special Metal Gala launch event at One Marylebone in London this evening (12th November).
Esteemed actor Paddy Considine (House Of The Dragon, Peaky Blinders), who will be playing at this year’s Download with his band Riding The Low, stars in this year’s announcement video, alongside other Humans Of Download.
Like he says in the short film titled ‘Est Momentum’, Download is “a place where legends are born. This is where you belong.”
With many more names yet to be announced, Download Festival XXII takes place from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th June 2025 at Donington Park, Derbyshire.
General sale tickets are available from Planet Rock Tickets at 9pm on Thursday 14th November. A Mastercard pre-sale has started now, and Download Festival’s pre-sale commences at 9pm on Wednesday 13th November.
The Download Festival 2025 line-up so far:
Green Day (headliner)
Sleep Token (headliner)
Korn (headliner)
Airbourne
Alcest
Alien Ant Farm
Amira Elfeky
Anaal Naehrakh
Apocalyptica
Archers
Bad Nerves
Arrows In Action
Artio
Battlesnake
Bex
Bleed From Within
Boston Manor
Bullet For My Valentine
Cky
Cradle Of Filth
Currents
Dayseeker
Dead Poet Society
Dead Pony
Don Broco
Eagles Of Death Metal
Eivør
Faetooth
Filter
Fit For An Autopsy
Frank Carter & The Sex Pistols
Gore.
Graphic Nature
Harpy
Holy Wars
House Of Protection
Jerry Cantrell
Jimmy Eat World
Jinjer
Karen Dió
Kim Dracula
Kittie
Lastelle
Loathe
Lølø
Lorna Shore
Mallory Knox
Mcfly
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes
Melted Bodies
Meshuggah
Northlane
Novelists
Nothing More
Orbit Culture
Polaris
Poppy
Riding The Low
Seven Hours After Violet
Sikth
Sim
Sophie Lloyd
Split Chain
Spiritbox
Spiritual Cramp
Starset
Static Dress
Steel Panther
Survive Said The Prophet
Svalbard
Sylosis
Teen Mortgage
The Darkness
The Funeral Portrait
The Ghost Inside
The Haunt
The Meffs
The Scratch
The Southern River Band
Trophy Eyes
Turbonegro
Underside
Unprocessed
Venus Grrrls
Vola
Vower
Vowws
Weezer
Whitechapel
Windhand
Within Temptation
The very first Download Festival in photos:
The Main Stage at Download Festival 2003
The very first Download Festival took place on the hallowed turf of Donington Park – home of the legendary Monsters of Rock – on Saturday 31st May to Sunday 1st June 2003.
Iron Maiden headline Download Festival 2003
Two-times Monsters of Rock headliners Iron Maiden topped the bill on the opening night of Download 2003.
Iron Maiden headline Download Festival 2003
Iron Maiden's performance at the inaugural Download Festival was part of their Give Me Ed... 'til I'm Dead Tour.
Deftones at Download Festival 2003
Other main stage performers on the Saturday were Marilyn Manson, Deftones (pictured), Ministry, InMe, Murderdolls, Amen, Funeral for a Friend, Stampin' Ground, Shadows Fall and Murder One.
Download Festival 2003 crowd
Years before the advent smartphones, the Download Festival 2003 faithful attended the event armed with disposable cameras.
Ministry at Download Festival 2003
Ministry's All Jourgenson sings into his understated microphone stand on the Saturday at Download Festival 2003.
HIM at Download Festival 2003
Ville Valo of Finnish gothic rockers HIM during the band's Saturday set on the Scuzz Stage. The second stage also boasted performances from A, Reel Big Fish, Taproot, Sepultura, Reef, SOiL, The Hellacopters, SikTh, 3 Colours Red, From Autumn To Ashes, Queen Adreena, Violent Delight, Arch Enemy, and Chimaria.
Download Festival 2003 crowd
Download Festival's name has a two meanings. The word 'Download' was a murky word at the time thanks to Napster and illegal downloading. Download was also seen as a Monsters of Rock for the 21st century and the internet would provide connectivity with its audience. Tickets had a download code on them so fans could get tracks by some of the bands performing.
Audioslave headline Download Festival 2003
Late rock legend Chris Cornell on stage with Audioslave during the band's main stage headline set on Sunday night at Download Festival 2003. It was Audioslave's only appearance at Download, however Chris Cornell would return with Soundgarden and as a solo artist.
Audioslave headline Download Festival 2003
Audioslave replaced original headliners Limp Bizkit on the line-up after Fred Durst and co. cancelled.
Keith Flint at Download Festival 2003
The late-great Keith Flint on stage with his fleeting solo band Flint on the Sunday at Download Festival 2003. The Prodigy headlined the second stage at Download Festival 2006 and 2009 before stepping up as main stage headliners in 2012.
Stone Sour's Corey Taylor at Download Festival 2003
Wearing a Union Jacket emblazoned with the words 'Donington' in marker pen, Corey Taylor played the very first Download Festival with Stone Sour. Slipknot have headlined Download five times since the festival's inception, and Corey has also performed as a solo artist over the past 21 years.
Metallica play secret set at Download Festival 2003
A truly landmark Download Festival moment, Metallica played a secret set on The Scuzz Stage on the Sunday afternoon.
Metallica play secret set at Download Festival 2003
Metallica performed a 10-song set on the rammed-to-the-rafters stage, including a clutch of tracks from their soon-to-be-released album 'St Anger'.
Metallica play secret set at Download Festival 2003
Also on The Scuzz Stage bill alongside Metallica on Sunday were NOFX, Boysetsfire, The Bouncing Souls, Strung Out, Thrice, Spunge, TSOL, The Real McKenzies, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Brand New, Instruction, Beatsteaks, Randy and Fabulous Disaster.
The Darkness' Justin Hawkins at Download Festival 2003
Justin Hawkins backstage before The Darkness' performance on The Main Stage. Audioslave, Zwan, Flint, Apocalyptica, Less Than Jake, Disturbed, Stone Sour, Evanescence, Mudvayne, Spineshank, One Minute Silence, Raging Speedhorn and Instruction also played on the second day.
Billy Corgan at Download Festival 2003
Billy Corgan on stage with Zwan on the Sunday at Download Festival 2003